Sheffield Wednesday produce two very different performances in draw with Ipswich Town

There was the 75 minutes of defensive brain-freezes, failing to have a shot on target and over-complication, then 21 minutes (including stoppage time) where they showed great character and piled pressure on until, in the 89th, they forced an equaliser against the League One leaders.

The home fans were just as Jekyll and Hyde, nearly forcing an abandonment in part one and a win in part two.

The scorer of the equaliser, Michael Smith, called the display "stop-starty". It is often the case with his new team, so he should fit in well. After his debut, Smith’s Owls career was temporarily stopped by a thigh niggle. With three goals in the four matches since his return, things are very ‘starty’ now.

The game began with a flourish. Later in the season on a softer pitch Barry Bannan’s shot from just inside his own half might have bounced into not over the empty net.

Four minutes in, Ipswich led, George Edmundson carrying the ball out in a way back threes work at their best. The converging Owls seemed to allow a pass to Kayden Jackson but in fact a tackle ricocheted. Dominic Iorfa dozed as his man ran inside him and scored.

But Ipswich’s next shot on target was not until the 49th minute – even that deflected – and the Owls' first of the afternoon started part two.

So the main feature became referee Peter Wright’s poor performance. He had officiated in front of big crowds at Sunderland, Derby County and even Hillsborough before – a couple bigger than Saturday's – so it may not have been the angry response of the 26,281 fans but mistakes seemed to snowball.

"Someone said as I came off I was about two yards offside but I'm not bothered," shrugged Smith. "I had a sneaky little look (at the linesman) but those kind of decisions balance out over the course of the game."

Play should not have been allowed to continue for Wes Burns to deliver the cross Iorfa put through his own net either. Darren Moore blamed Iorfa’s "planted feet” for both goals.

Fans who yelled "You're not fit to referee" booed Wright off at half-time but attempts to physically rattle the officials were unacceptable. Twice in the first half objects were thrown at the linesman from the North Stand and as Iorfa's own goal went in, more rained on goalkeeper Christian Walton's penalty area. As Iorfa trudged off, substituted almost as soon as he netted, a tannoy announcement conveyed what Wright told managers Moore and Kieran McKenna – any more and the game would be abandoned.

Wright was not alone in winding up home fans. Twice midway through the first half Michael Ihiekwe backpasses only produced groans before David Stockdale thumped the ball out himself. A Josh Windass attempt to take the ball on the half-turn put it out for a throw-in, to more annoyance.

"We scored the third goal at Morecambe playing out from the back," was Moore's defence of his defender.

He set the tone for over-complication by getting drawn into a game of chess with McKenna. The Owls started in something between a 3-4-3 and 3-3-3-1 then went to 4-4-2 in possession and 3-5-2 out of it.

Central midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru's selection stuck out like a sore thumb. Substitute Mallik Wilks watched him flit between right wing and centre-forward.

Dele-Bashiru was replaced in the 57th minute by Lee Gregory – an actual striker. With Windass now behind Gregory and Smith the Owls looked better but part two only really began when George Byers converted Marvin Johnson's cross at the Kop end.

Now the crowd had someone to fight with, rather than against. Bannan and Byers whirred their arms to whip them up but in the deafening roar there was no need.

"Once we provided that spark they were unbelievable and I think another ten minutes and we would have nicked it," argued Smith.

Smith’s header cleverly guided from Reece James' centre brought the Owls from two behind to draw for the first time since April 2019.

"I wasn't aware of that so it's probably a blessing!" smirked Smith. "We've got a lot of lads who've played hundreds of league games and probably countless games like that."

Moore was right to laud the spirit but Smith hit the nail on the head.

"It's just about playing for the full 90 minutes now," he said.

Sheffield Wednesday: Stockdale; Iorfa (Mighten 81), Ihiekwe, James; Palmer, Byers, Johnson; Dele-Bashiru (Gregory 57), Bannan, Windass; Smith. Unused substitutes: Vaulks, Wilks, Paterson, Bakinson, Dawson.

Ipswich Town: Walton; Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis (Leigh 55); Donacien, Evans, Morsy,Jackson (Keogh 81); Burns, Chaplin (Harness 68); John-Jules (Ladapo 68). Unused substitutes: Ball, Ahadme, Hladky.